Summer Hazards for Your Dog: How to Keep Your Dog Safe This Summer

The warm summer months bring vacations, pool days, and summer barbecues-but it brings along some dangers too. Everyone knows the hazards that summer brings for humans such as sunburns and swimming pool disasters, but did you know that summer brings along dangerous situations for our furry friends too? Before setting off for a summer of fun, be aware of these 5 summer hazards for your dog. 

Heatstroke and Overheating

One of the most obvious summer hazards for your dog is heatstroke or overheating. While a dogs furry coat is designed to protect them from both extreme cold and extreme heat, overheating is still a concern for our furry friends. 

Be proactive when it comes to keeping your pet cool this summer. Make sure cold water is always available for drinking, have shady areas available, and don’t force your dog to stay outside during the hotter months. 

Know the signs of heatstroke and dehydration:

• Lethargy
• Pale gums and tongue
• Decreased urination
• Refusal to eat

Keep short nosed, darker coated, overweight, or thick coated dogs inside on very hot days as these dogs are more likely to experience heatstroke. 

Other ways to keep your dog cool are cooling mats, frozen treats, and sprinklers or swimming pools.

Ticks and Insect Bites

Before bringing your dog on a summer hike, be prepared for tick or other insect bites. Bee stings and spider bites can cause an allergic reaction while tick or mosquito bites can cause illnesses such as heart worms or Lyme disease. 

Be prepared for insect bites by carrying a first aid kit with you stocked with Benadryl and bandage materials. 

Make sure your dog is on flea and tick and heart worm prevention. If you choose not to keep your pup on preventatives year round, the warmer months are definitely the time to put them on it. 

After extended periods of time outdoors, especially in heavily planted areas, do a thorough check and removal of any ticks that may have found their way to your pup. 

Drowning

Drowning isn’t just a serious concern for humans in the summer, it is a summer hazard for your dog as well. While most dog breeds know how to swim, and many dogs love the water, this isn’t the case for all of them.

Keep a close eye on your dog around bodies of water such as pools, lakes, and oceans. Consider a life jacket for your pup, especially in deep bodies of water or on boats.

Never force your dog into the water. Forcing them can cause them to panic which puts them in more danger of drowning or inhaling water. 

Always wash off after a day of swimming as the salt, chlorine, and bacteria found in bodies of water can cause health issues for your pet if consumed.

Hot Asphalt and Sidewalks

Daily walks should not be stopped when the weather gets hot, however, you may need to adjust where or when Fido gets out for his neighborhood stroll.

Asphalt and concrete can be up to 40-60 degrees hotter than the outside air temperature. That means that if the air temperature is 80 degrees, the sidewalk could be as hot as 140 degrees. A general rule is that if it’s too hot for you to walk on barefoot, it’s too hot for your dog.

Hot sidewalks can cause severe burns to your dogs feet. To avoid this summer hazard for your dog, walk them before sunrise and after sunset. If this is not possible, walk them in grassy areas as the grass won’t be as hot as the concrete. 

You can also purchase booties for your pup, to keep their paws protected from the heat.

Summer Barbecues

Summer barbecues and cookouts are one of my favorite parts of summer, but they can be a real hazard for our furry friends. While many of the foods served at these cookouts are safe for dogs, there are some common BBQ foods that will make your pup sick. 

The following foods are safe to share (in moderation) with your dog:

• Hotdogs
• Watermelon
• Plain hamburgers
• Chicken
• Eggs

These foods should never be shared with your dog:

• Corn on the cob. While corn on it’s own is fine in moderation, corn cobs are a serious choking hazard and puts your pup at risk of an internal blockage 
• Sauces. Barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, ketchup, etc. are all full of sugar that can give your dog diarrhea.
• Meat with bones. Like corn cobs, bones can cause choking or blockage for our furry friends. Always remove ALL bones from meat before sharing it with your pup and never give your dog a cooked bone.
• Fatty foods such as oil or butter. Dogs don’t process fats the way humans do and are at risk of pancreatitis if they consume too much fatty food.

Fireworks

Fireworks are a blast for humans to watch during a late summer night, but the loud boom can be terrifying for dogs. 

Many dogs become incredibly anxious during the summer when fireworks are a frequent occurrence. The loud noise is confusing and scary to a lot of dogs. Dogs who are scared of fireworks are at risk of running away, as they tend to run away from noises that alarm them.

Before setting off fireworks this year, make sure your dog is in a safe and comfortable space. A locked bedroom, bathroom, or crate is a safe spot for anxious pups. Leave them with their favorite treats, toys, and blankets to make them feel safe and secure. Also consider a thunder shirt to calm a scared dog.

Heavily exercise your dogs brain and body before a night of fireworks. A well exercised dog is more likely to be tired and sleep through the loud noises at night.

If you have an extremely anxious pup, talk to your vet about some medication that will keep them calm throughout the night.

Summertime can be a blast for dogs but it’s important to keep them safe as well. Before setting off for a summer of memories, ensure your dog is going to stay safe, happy and healthy by avoiding these summer hazards for your dog.

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